A Day for Songs and Contests:
By Luca Dau and Scott McKiernan
Introduction
Book 8 is one of the many books within Homer's renowned Greek Epic, TheOdyssey. Book 8, or A Day for Songs and Contests, takes place during the period of time when Odysseus and his men are resting on the island of Phaeacia, in the care of King Alcinous. This book is preceded by Book 7, entitled Phaeacia's Halls and Gardens. In this book, Odysseus first arrives on the island of Phaeacia, and, with the assistance of Athena, he makes an appearance to the King and Queen. Odysseus withholds his name from the rulers, but still manages to persuade them to grant a safe passage, and a Phaeacian ship. Odysseus greatly impresses the royalty, and in return the King offers Odysseus his daughter's hand in marriage. Odysseus, however, declines.
Book 8 starts with both Odysseus and Alcinous rising at dawn. Alcinous calls an assembly to greet the new visitors, and there is a very large attendance because Athena had spread a myth the strange new man (Odysseus) was actually a God. After the feast starts, the blind singer Demodocus sings of the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles. The song causes extreme emotional strife for Odysseus, and he hides his head in his cloak, to prevent everyone from noticing his tears. King Alcinous, who is sitting next to Odysseus, notices his grief and ends the feast to improve the mood. Next the games start and various sports of all kind are participated in, from boxing to the discus throw. When Odysseus is invited to participate by Laodamas, a son of Alcinous, Odysseus says he has simply been through too many hardships to participate. However Broadsea, a Phaeacian wrestling champion, mocked Odysseus and said he was not participating due to lack of ability. Odysseus takes up his challenge, grabs a discus larger than any other one used, and hurdles it far beyond the best Phaeacian throw. King Alcinous recognizes Odysseus's athletic superiority, but then claims that the Phaeacians can dance better than any other. And with that, the dancing begins and another song from Demodocus. This song however, is a cheerful and humorous tail of the love affair between Ares, the god of war, and Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. After this tail accompanied by beautiful choreography, Odysseus exclames the Phaeacians are the best dancers he has ever seen! Next the Phaeacians leave Odysseus with their parting gifts of fresh clothes, and gold bars. Odysseus is also given a cup, so every time a toast is made, he will remember the kindness of King Alcinous. A parting feast is then prepared and Demodocus begins to sing one more song about the Trojan Horse when Odysseus bursts into tears yet again. At this point Alcinous halts the eating and song, and asks Odysseus to share his name and story with his kind people. At this point Book 8 comes to a dramatic halt, but in the beginning of Book 9, Odysseus does reveal his name, and his story.
Theme
The main theme within Book 8 is how by enduring tramatic, and somber events, Odysseus has matured, and become a much more emotional man. While the youthful Phaeacians were oriented on physical competion being the focus of day to day activities, Odysseus tended to remain dark, and wished to not participate in the games. Broadsea insulting Odysseus is symbolic of the innocence of youth, and him challenging an elder is trying to prove maturity. Demodocus is a significant character in this book, due to the fact that his songs take up a very large portion of it. The first and third song cause Odysseus to burst out into tears, showing that he has endured much, and is now in a very weak state of mourning. There is also a prophecy mentioned in the book that one day one of the Phaeacian boats, given to a stranger for passage, will be struck down by the gods. Due to the fact that this has not transpired yet, and because it was mentioned, it can be foreshadowed that Odysseus's boat will be struck down by the gods, and he will not have safe passage all the way home.
Character
List of Characters:
Odysseus - Son of Laetres and Anticleia, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, and king of Ithaca and the surrounding Islands.
Athena - The daughter of Zeus and Goddess of wisdom. Patron of ingenuity, whether in handicrafts, or human relations. Odysseus is her favorite Greek.
Alcinous - King of the Phaeacians, and famed for his affluence.
Demodocus - The blind singer of the Phaeacians.
Laodamas - Son of Alcinous and Arete
Various Athletes - Competed in games, tended to have ocean related names. (Broadsea, Rowhard, etc.)
Demodocus in Depth
Demodocus is a blind poet, gifted by the muse to sing beautiful song, as seen here, "The faithful bard the Muse adored above all others, true, but her gifts were mixed with good and evil: she both stripped him of sight but gave the man the power of stirring, rapturous song" (193). He who performs three songs for Odysseus and the Phaeacian’s in Book 8, A Day for Songs and Contests. After Alchinous and his assembly grants Odysseus a passage home they call for a celebration to honor their guest. During the celebration Demodocus performs the three songs, the first song is about the disagreement between Odysseus and Achilles in Troy, secondly Demodocus sings about the love affair between Ares and Aphrodite, and lastly he sings about the Trojan Horse and the taking over of Troy during the war. After the second song, Odysseus starts to show respect for Demodocus, "the faithful bard Demodocus, prized by all people...At once Odysseus rich and crisp with fat...'Take this to Demodocus, with warm regards from a man who knows what suffering is'" (206). During the first and third song Odyesseus begins to weep because they remind him of his time in Troy, therefore Alcinous becomes suspicious of his true identity. Demodocus is only found in Book 8 of the Odyssey. Demodocus is important in this story because he sings two songs that cause Odysseus to get extraordinarily emotional about his past which then leads to Alcinous asking Odyesseus who he really is, and a majority of the book is the songs of Demodocus. It is suspected that Demodocus is actually Homer placing himself in the story. This is thought because both Homer and Demodocus were blind, and were both famed for oral poetry. Homer or not, Demodocus plays a key role in Book 8, and gains the respect of Odysseus, as Odysseus states, "'I respect you Demodocus, more than any man alive-- sulery the muse has taught you" (207).
Structure
Epithet
The predominant literary technique used in book 8 would be epithets. An epithet is the use of a descriptive adjective or phrase in place of a name. Example: the Smith or Firegod in place of the name Hephaestus. Epithets are frequently by Homer, and therefore; often show up within the Odyssey. The significance of an epithet is that it can be used to keep the place of a specific person, but make it sound like a fresh, new character each time to make it more pleasant to the ear.
Odysseus (far right) weeping during the performance of Demodocus
Metaphor
Metaphors show up generally in the descriptive portion of the book, as opposed to a part somebody is speaking. A metaphor is a comparison of too things without the use of like or as. An example would be: "Odysseus gazed at their flying, flashing feet, his heart aglow with wonder" (200). The heart of Odysseus was not literally glowing, neither were the feet actually flying, but the use of a metaphor help to paint the image of quick swift feet, and an amazed Odysseus. Metaphors, like epithets, are also quite frequent throughout Book 8, and the entire Odyssey.
Epic Simile
An epic simile is a simile that is usually a detailed description, multiple lines in length, that compares the events of hero to everyday events. A good example would be, "great Odysseus melted into tears, running down from his eyes to wet his cheeks...as a woman weeps, her arms flung round her darling husband" (208). This shows how similar the weeping of mighty Odysseus is to that of an ordinary wife. Epic similes tend to appear less frequently than either metaphors or epithets, but are still extremely vivid and descriptive. They help the ordinary towns people who would by reading this book to relate to Odysseus.
Geography
Route of Odysseus's Trip
A Day for Songs and and Contests takes place on the island of Phaeacia. Phaeacia is the island of the Phaeacians. Because the Phaecians are known as skilled seaman Alcinous offers Odysseus a way home. Phaeacia is just north of Odysseus's home, Ithaca. Odysseus is granted a passage home on Phaeacia so it is an important part of the Odyssey because it is one of the few turning points in his favor.
Quotes
"Walls plated in bronze, crowned with a circling frieze glazed as blue as lapis, ran to the left and right from outer gates to the deepest court recess, and solid golden doors enclosed the palace. Up from the bronze threshold silver doorposts rose with solver lintel above and golden handles too. And dogs of gold and silver were stationed either side, forged by the god of fire with all his cunning craft to keep watch on generous King Alcinous' palace" (182). Found in book 7, this quote vividly describes the rich house of King Alcinous, and illustrates his affluence.
"Outside the courtyard, fronting the high gates, a magnificent orchard stretches four acres deep with a strong fence running round it side-to-side here luxuriant trees are always in their prime, pomegranates and pears, and apples glowing red, succulent figs and olives swelling sleek and dark. And the yeild of all these trees will never flag or die, neither in winter nor in summer" (183). Also found in book 7, is a luscious description of the courtyard. The fact that the plants there are ever lasting, and constantly produce beautiful fruit show that the Phaeacians are gifted by the gods.
"Poised in his majesty, Alcinous led the way to Phaeacia's meeting grounds, built for all besides the harbored ships" (191). Describes in more detail how welcoming the Phaeacian land and people are to visitors such as Odysseus.
The Olympics
A History of the Olympics
The Olympics were first founded by the Greek hero Heracles, also known as Hercules. Heracles was the son of Zeus and had the gift of incredible strength. The first record of the Olympics appeared in 776 BC even though it is speculated that the Olympics had been going on many years before. At the event, a runner named Coroebus won the sole event of the stade, a run about 210 yards, making him the first official Olympic champion. Originally the men who participated in the Olympics were naked, as they believed this made them faster. Over time, Olympics then evolved into the ever popular multi-event competition we see today.
The Olympics in Book 8
The Olympic Games play a huge role in A Day for Songs and Contests because a large portion of the book consists of the Phaeacians in games such as wrestling, discus throwing, jumping, and running. In the Odyssey Olympic Games are a great way to show Odysseus’s immense athletic ability, such as when he tossed a discus heavier than all other, and still defeated the best Phaeacian by a great amount. The Olympics tells us that Greek culture was extremely competitive and they enjoyed showing their strengths through athletic games such as running and wrestling. It also shows us that the Greeks believed in honoring their Gods such as Zeus by competing in athletic events. In today’s world other than the addition of countries and sports the Olympics have not changed much. Today all the athletes are also incredibly competitive and compete to honor their country. Also both in modern and ancient times people loved to gather around their country or state and root for their fellow countrymen.
By Luca Dau and Scott McKiernan
Introduction
Book 8 is one of the many books within Homer's renowned Greek Epic, The1. Synopsis and Theme2. Character 3. Structure 4. Geography
5. The Olympics!
6. Works Cited
Synopsis and Theme
Synopsis
Book 8 starts with both Odysseus and Alcinous rising at dawn. Alcinous calls an assembly to greet the new visitors, and there is a very large attendance because Athena had spread a myth the strange new man (Odysseus) was actually a God. After the feast starts, the blind singer Demodocus sings of the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles. The song causes extreme emotional strife for Odysseus, and he hides his head in his cloak, to prevent everyone from noticing his tears. King Alcinous, who is sitting next to Odysseus, notices his grief and ends the feast to improve the mood. Next the games start and various sports of all kind are participated in, from boxing to the discus throw. When Odysseus is invited to participate by Laodamas, a son of Alcinous, Odysseus says he has simply been through too many hardships to participate. However Broadsea, a Phaeacian wrestling champion, mocked Odysseus and said he was not participating due to lack of ability. Odysseus takes up his challenge, grabs a discus larger than any other one used, and hurdles it far beyond the best Phaeacian throw. King Alcinous recognizes Odysseus's athletic superiority, but then claims that the Phaeacians can dance better than any other. And with that, the dancing begins and another song from Demodocus. This song however, is a cheerful and humorous tail of the love affair between Ares, the god of war, and Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. After this tail accompanied by beautiful choreography, Odysseus exclames the Phaeacians are the best dancers he has ever seen! Next the Phaeacians leave Odysseus with their parting gifts of fresh clothes, and gold bars. Odysseus is also given a cup, so every time a toast is made, he will remember the kindness of King Alcinous. A parting feast is then prepared and Demodocus begins to sing one more song about the Trojan Horse when Odysseus bursts into tears yet again. At this point Alcinous halts the eating and song, and asks Odysseus to share his name and story with his kind people. At this point Book 8 comes to a dramatic halt, but in the beginning of Book 9, Odysseus does reveal his name, and his story.Theme
The main theme within Book 8 is how by enduring tramatic, and somber events, Odysseus has matured, and become a much more emotional man. While the youthful Phaeacians were oriented on physical competion being the focus of day to day activities, Odysseus tended to remain dark, and wished to not participate in the games. Broadsea insulting Odysseus is symbolic of the innocence of youth, and him challenging an elder is trying to prove maturity. Demodocus is a significant character in this book, due to the fact that his songs take up a very large portion of it. The first and third song cause Odysseus to burst out into tears, showing that he has endured much, and is now in a very weak state of mourning. There is also a prophecy mentioned in the book that one day one of the Phaeacian boats, given to a stranger for passage, will be struck down by the gods. Due to the fact that this has not transpired yet, and because it was mentioned, it can be foreshadowed that Odysseus's boat will be struck down by the gods, and he will not have safe passage all the way home.Character
List of Characters:
Demodocus in Depth
Demodocus is a blind poet, gifted by the muse to sing beautiful song, as seen here, "The faithful bard the Muse adored above all others, true, but her gifts were mixed with good and evil: she both stripped him of sight but gave the man the power of stirring, rapturous song" (193). He who performs three songs for Odysseus and the Phaeacian’s in Book 8, A Day for Songs and Contests. After Alchinous and his assembly grants Odysseus a passage home they call for a celebration to honor their guest. During the celebration Demodocus performs the three songs, the first song is about the disagreement between Odysseus and Achilles in Troy, secondly Demodocus sings about the love affair between Ares and Aphrodite, and lastly he sings about the Trojan Horse and the taking over of Troy during the war. After the second song, Odysseus starts to show respect for Demodocus, "the faithful bard Demodocus, prized by all people...At once Odysseus rich and crisp with fat...'Take this to Demodocus, with warm regards from a man who knows what suffering is'" (206). During the first and third song Odyesseus begins to weep because they remind him of his time in Troy, therefore Alcinous becomes suspicious of his true identity. Demodocus is only found in Book 8 of the Odyssey. Demodocus is important in this story because he sings two songs that cause Odysseus to get extraordinarily emotional about his past which then leads to Alcinous asking Odyesseus who he really is, and a majority of the book is the songs of Demodocus. It is suspected that Demodocus is actually Homer placing himself in the story. This is thought because both Homer and Demodocus were blind, and were both famed for oral poetry. Homer or not, Demodocus plays a key role in Book 8, and gains the respect of Odysseus, as Odysseus states, "'I respect you Demodocus, more than any man alive-- sulery the muse has taught you" (207).
Structure
Epithet
The predominant literary technique used in book 8 would be epithets. An epithet is the use of a descriptive adjective or phrase in place of a name. Example: the Smith or Firegod in place of the name Hephaestus. Epithets are frequently by Homer, and therefore; often show up within the Odyssey. The significance of an epithet is that it can be used to keep the place of a specific person, but make it sound like a fresh, new character each time to make it more pleasant to the ear.
Metaphor
Metaphors show up generally in the descriptive portion of the book, as opposed to a part somebody is speaking. A metaphor is a comparison of too things without the use of like or as. An example would be: "Odysseus gazed at their flying, flashing feet, his heart aglow with wonder" (200). The heart of Odysseus was not literally glowing, neither were the feet actually flying, but the use of a metaphor help to paint the image of quick swift feet, and an amazed Odysseus. Metaphors, like epithets, are also quite frequent throughout Book 8, and the entire Odyssey.
Epic Simile
An epic simile is a simile that is usually a detailed description, multiple lines in length, that compares the events of hero to everyday events. A good example would be, "great Odysseus melted into tears, running down from his eyes to wet his cheeks...as a woman weeps, her arms flung round her darling husband" (208). This shows how similar the weeping of mighty Odysseus is to that of an ordinary wife. Epic similes tend to appear less frequently than either metaphors or epithets, but are still extremely vivid and descriptive. They help the ordinary towns people who would by reading this book to relate to Odysseus.
Geography
A Day for Songs and and Contests takes place on the island of Phaeacia. Phaeacia is the island of the Phaeacians. Because the Phaecians are known as skilled seaman Alcinous offers Odysseus a way home. Phaeacia is just north of Odysseus's home, Ithaca. Odysseus is granted a passage home on Phaeacia so it is an important part of the Odyssey because it is one of the few turning points in his favor.
Quotes
"Walls plated in bronze, crowned with a circling frieze glazed as blue as lapis, ran to the left and right from outer gates to the deepest court recess, and solid golden doors enclosed the palace. Up from the bronze threshold silver doorposts rose with solver lintel above and golden handles too. And dogs of gold and silver were stationed either side, forged by the god of fire with all his cunning craft to keep watch on generous King Alcinous' palace" (182). Found in book 7, this quote vividly describes the rich house of King Alcinous, and illustrates his affluence.
"Outside the courtyard, fronting the high gates, a magnificent orchard stretches four acres deep with a strong fence running round it side-to-side here luxuriant trees are always in their prime, pomegranates and pears, and apples glowing red, succulent figs and olives swelling sleek and dark. And the yeild of all these trees will never flag or die, neither in winter nor in summer" (183). Also found in book 7, is a luscious description of the courtyard. The fact that the plants there are ever lasting, and constantly produce beautiful fruit show that the Phaeacians are gifted by the gods.
"Poised in his majesty, Alcinous led the way to Phaeacia's meeting grounds, built for all besides the harbored ships" (191). Describes in more detail how welcoming the Phaeacian land and people are to visitors such as Odysseus.
The Olympics
A History of the Olympics
The Olympics were first founded by the Greek hero Heracles, also known as Hercules. Heracles was the son of Zeus and had the gift of incredible strength. The first record of the Olympics appeared in 776 BC even though it is speculated that the Olympics had been going on many years before. At the event, a runner named Coroebus won the sole event of the stade, a run about 210 yards, making him the first official Olympic champion. Originally the men who participated in the Olympics were naked, as they believed this made them faster. Over time, Olympics then evolved into the ever popular multi-event competition we see today.
The Olympics in Book 8
The Olympic Games play a huge role in A Day for Songs and Contests because a large portion of the book consists of the Phaeacians in games such as wrestling, discus throwing, jumping, and running. In the Odyssey Olympic Games are a great way to show Odysseus’s immense athletic ability, such as when he tossed a discus heavier than all other, and still defeated the best Phaeacian by a great amount. The Olympics tells us that Greek culture was extremely competitive and they enjoyed showing their strengths through athletic games such as running and wrestling. It also shows us that the Greeks believed in honoring their Gods such as Zeus by competing in athletic events. In today’s world other than the addition of countries and sports the Olympics have not changed much. Today all the athletes are also incredibly competitive and compete to honor their country. Also both in modern and ancient times people loved to gather around their country or state and root for their fellow countrymen.
Works Cited
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/The-Odyssey.id-99.html
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey
http://history1900s.about.com/od/fadsfashion/a/olympicshistory.htm